‘Smart packaging’ solutions for connected shoppers

Leading digital innovations agency Engine Creative has developed a suite of services which enable brands to create 'smart packaging' solutions for today's connected shoppers.

The 'smart packaging' solutions enable brands in the retail and consumer goods sector to deliver engaging and useful digital content directly through their packaging or products. This turns the products into unique digital brand touch points, increasing their value to consumers and providing brands with a mechanism to measure product interaction post-purchase.

Connected products for smarter shoppers

Engine Creative are currently working on a number of real world implementations of their ‘smart packaging’ service across various sectors. This includes embedding beacon technology into high value goods for security tracking and using object recognition and 3D visualisation to provide interactive ‘how to’ guides for technical household products such as washing machines or vacuum cleaners.

Advanced Augmented Reality solutions

The technology which underpins the ‘smart packaging’ solutions has evolved from the Augmented Reality (AR) work carried out by the agency with some of the UK’s largest retailers. After successfully creating AR enabled packaging for Tesco's 'Big Night In' ready meal range, the team at Engine Creative realised the huge potential for providing digital content to enhance a variety of packaging solutions. Strategic Director Andy Wise explains the progression from AR to ‘smart packaging’:

"As an agency with huge experience in the AR sector, we're looking to move forward from a position where Augmented Reality is seen as just a but of fun to a place where it is perceived as a really useful bridge between the physical and digital worlds.

With the Internet of Things already making its way into everyday life for consumers we wanted to provide our clients in the retail and FMCG sectors with a set of smart packaging solutions that enable them to tap into the opportunities here and now.

When working with clients we start by finding unique consumer insights relating to the product or packaging we are working with. This enables us to define exactly what would be genuinely useful for consumers whether it is educational, instructional or functional.

We’re currently working on a solution which enables shoppers to scan multiple products they pick out of their store cupboards or fridge to get inspiration for recipes. This is the perfect use of advanced AR to provide useful and relevant information in an intuitive way for consumers.”

Integrating ‘smart packaging’ into branded apps

The functionality being developed for ‘smart packaging’ solutions goes far beyond image recognition and includes location geofencing, 3D CAD data tracking, proximity via beacons, environment tracking, object recognition and heat and motion sensors. Engine Creative are developing ways of embedding the technology into existing apps as well as developing bespoke branded apps for mobile and tablet devices.

The Engine Creative team is currently running workshops and working on prototyping projects to help brands define and implement how ‘smart packaging’ solutions can be delivered. With meetings already lined up with some of the UK's leading retailers, Engine Creative are looking to build more strategic relationships with key partners in the retail and consumer goods market.

Interested parties should contact SmartPackaging@EngineCreative.co.uk or call the agency directly for further information.

About Engine Creative

We are experts in delivering our clients measurable results through immersive Augmented Reality (AR) brand experiences.

We have specific expertise working with digital innovations to build user engagement with our clients' brands with achievements including:

- Launching the world's first fully augmented magazine (TopGear, Dec 2011)

- Creating the first fully augmented reality album cover for a UK band (Ting Tings, Feb 2012)

- FIPP Digital Innovators Summit Editor's & Readers Award (TopGear augmented magazine)

- Drum Marketing Award for Brand Development Strategy (Bauer Media heat mobile strategy, May 2013)

- RAR Award and RAR Digital Awards for Creativity & Innovation (June 2014)

Engine Creative is currently working with Tesco, Coca-Cola, Lacoste, PizzaHut, Disney, Mazda and Thorntons on building consumer engagement through digital innovations.